Have you ever asked someone a question but the person responding just can't get to the point even after 3-4 minutes? The response is broken into so many distracting, irrelevant details that you don't even get an answer or perhaps you forget what your original question was. In this article, learn how to respond succinctly with a minimum of words to create a polished, well-spoken response.
Copyright (c) 2008 Lynda Stucky
It seems like in today's world, conservation is the goal for many things: fuel, electricity, money, etc. What if conservation of speech became one of those goals? Learning to get a point across with fewer words and more concise language can be an effective communication tool that can dramatically boost credibility.
In American business, we value conciseness. Communicating succinctly is an effective and powerful tool for persuading, convincing, or reinforcing messages. Speech that is too wordy is dull and boring and may leave the listener wondering what the point is. Similarly, a response that take 3-4 minutes to get to the point is too long to hold someone's attention especially if the speaker veered from the main point in off-topic details. You or the speaker may have even forgotten what the question was after several minutes.
Distinguishing between the need to know and nice to know is a good skill to have because the brain stops processing information after awhile to prevent psychological burn-out. This skill can be developed in both structured, rehearsed presentations and in everyday spontaneous conversations. Using succinct, well thought out messages is a lot easier in presentations than in spontaneous conversation. It take perserverance and time to improve this skill.
Here's a plan to help you develop this skill:
1. Be clear in your mind about the point you want to make. Focusing on making just one point at first to minimize having to organize your thoughts for a number of points.
2. Don't be afraid to pause before you respond. A delayed response appears thoughtful and in control.
3. Learn to summarize what you hear people saying or what is being asked. Reiterating what you hear being said not only increases your chances of understanding and responding on target but it also buys time to formulate a response.
4. Occasionally draw upon one of the following techniques to help you make a point in an interesting way:
Make an analogy.
Use a quote.
Tell a brief and relevant anecdote.
Define a word.
Use a statistic.
This technique requires preparation because no one can predict when a question will be asked that provides a good opportunity to use a quote to respond. It requires some thought about predicting questions and then having a perfect quote, analogy or anecdote that you can use to respond. Once you anticipate questions and then find appropriate techniques, practice the techniques out loud. When that moment arises in conversation for you to use your anecdote or quote, you will be ready and sound polished and articulate by spewing off a well-rehearsed story.
Begin by setting small goals of responding briefly (in one to two sentences) to summarize and make your point. Get to the point immediately. You can always give more details when your listener asks for more. A common question we all hear is "What do you do for a living?" This is an ideal place to work on a succinct reply. Is your response succinct and interesting? Does it leave the listener wanting to hear more about your job?
Practice your new way of speaking in specific situations, with certain individuals or while speaking on the phone. Make a conscious effort to speak more concisely at least twice a day. Highly efficient speech is like a hybrid car running on less gas and obtaining better mileage: use fewer words and achieve greater impact!
Can You Hear Me Now?
Being able to project the voice to a loud enough level so that even the people in the back of the room can hear you, is a common problem. Short of yelling, there are several things that you can manipulate to naturally project better without hurting your vocal cords. If you don't suffer from any physical problems, here are two common reasons for not being able to project well and what you can do about it.
Do You Fumble on This Important Skill?
Americans use idioms and expressions on a daily basis in nearly every conversation. It comes natural to us and we don't even think twice about using them. If you're a native English speaker from the U.S., you probably understand most of these figures of speech. . But for most people from another country, these expressions can be very confusing. Here are some helpful hints for both native and non-native English speakers.
Why Doesn't Buick Rhyme with Quick?
The English language is confusing especially for foreigners trying to live here in the United States. Even with high level English skills, the meaning of humor, idioms and expressions will be lost on them.
